Grass makes me break out in hives and suffer mild anaphylaxis. Every time I eat a raw cavendish banana, I am on the toilet for hours coming out both ends. I used to think it was just allergies until I saw my allergist. They described the differences for me, I’m Allergic to grass but Intolerant to bananas. A true food allergy, any allergy, is caused by reaction from your immune system; it is actively fighting an invader. Intolerance can be caused by a multitude of factors, it just means the body is not processing whatever was consumed. It tries to deal with it and hopefully evacuates from your system, but it typically results in extreme discomfort and pain. 

Why you should care in relation to mushrooms:

ALLERGIES

Mushrooms are made of plenty of different proteins to form their structures. A lot of animals actually use the same proteins to build muscles, shells, hair, skin, organs, etc as mushrooms. When those proteins are present, some people’s immune systems see it and attack it as if it would be a bacteria or harmful protein. This can be true across different species for different people or all species for some. My brother is allergic to button mushrooms but cubes aren’t a problem for him. 

This can result in:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Hives
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• And several others 

Spores can cause extreme respiratory distress and induce an allergic reaction especially in those who are predisposed to lung conditions.

INTOLERANCE

Proteins don’t always jumpstart an immune response, but instead go through completely unnoticed. Some people don’t have the enzymes and bacteria to break down the proteins in their gut.

This can result in:

• mild to severe abdominal pain, 
• headaches, 
• shortness of breath,
• Vomiting,
• And several other symptoms. 

CONCLUSIONS

This piece is not to scare the experienced grower or myconaut, you probably already know what you can get away with. This is for the people who have maybe never cultivated or even tried a mushroom before. 

But how do we all know for sure?

The only 100%, sure fire way to know is to get an allergy test. If you don’t really care about it and just wanna give it a shot, go small! Take a nibble out and feel it out for an hour. No reaction? Try a larger and larger dose until you feel comfortable or you find out you are allergic/intolerant. 

HELP HELP!!! I’m allergic/ intolerant

Don’t worry friend. Try a mushroom extract instead! There are plenty of methods to do so and even if you aren’t, highly recommend giving it a shot. Not just for cubes either! Cordyceps, chaga, turkey tail, and dozens (if not thousands) of species are prime candidates for extractions of their long chain sugars and alkaloids. 

However, please do still be careful trying it out. The specific extraction method matters depending on what you are allergic to. Same advice as before. Start small and wait it out. 

So next time your friend says “I can’t I’m allergic” actually listen to them and don’t make fun of them. Could save them and you from a very unpleasant time.